Jar construction for paste materials and the like



April 6, 1965 E. B. YOHE, JR 3,176,740

JAR CONSTRUCTION FOR PASTE MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Filed April 16, 1964 INVENTOR.

EUG E B. YOHE,JR.

his ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,176,740 JAR CONSTRUCTIUN FOR PASTE MATERIALS AND THE LIKE Eugene B. Yohe, In, Pittsburgh, Pa, assignor to Le Pages, Inc Pittsburgh, Pa., a corperation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 360,386 3 Claims. (Cl. 159-.5)

This invention relates to a jar construction formed from semi-resilient plastic material, and more particularly to a cap structure therefor.

White paste of the type used by school children has, in the past, been sold irr plastic jars provided with a threaded neck portion which receives a screw-on cap. Ordinarily, jars of this type are sold with a paste spreader. In the case of the screw-on cap, the spreader is provided with a circular flange which rests on the top edge of the neck portion, the spreader itself depending downwardly from the flange into the paste within the jar. Above the flange is a handle which may be grasped by the user; and in order to replace the cap with the spreader in place, a central opening is provided in the cap and through which the handle extends when the cap is screwed onto the neck portion. With this arrangement, the flange on the spreader acts as a sealing member with the cap in place to prevent drying of the paste.

The foregoing arrangement, although satisfactory, has certain disadvantages. For example, the cap structure is in two pieces-the spreader and the threaded cap meaning that the cap may be misplaced or lost, particularly when it is remembered that young school children ordinarily use this type of product.

As one object, the present invention seeks to provide a new and improved paste jar construction which overcomes the disadvantages of prior art constructions of this type.

More specifically, an object of the invention is to provide an improved cap structure for a paste jar wherein the spreader is integrally formed with the cap such that the spreader cannot be separated from the cap, and the cap serves as a handle for the spreader.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a cap for a paste jar which has decorative or artistic features as applied to a paste jar formed to resemble the head of an animal or the like such that the jar serves a dual function as a toy and a receptacle.

In accordance with the invention, there is provided a container in the shape of the head of an animal, the container being formed from semi-resilient plastic material or the like and having an upstanding open-ended neck portion, an integral annular flange on the outer periphery of the neck portion, and an inverted cup-shaped cap adapted to snugly fit over the neck portion, the cap having a skirt portion with an annular flange on its inner periphery which snaps over the flange on the neck portion. With this arrangement, the cap may be titted over the neck portion and pressed downwardly until the flange on the cap snaps over the flange on the neck portion to hold the cap securely in place. In order to remove the cap from the neck portion, a radially-outwardly extending annular flange is provided on the lower edge of the cap. By applying an upward force to the underside of this flange at one point around its periphery, the cap may be easily pried off the neck portion. At the same time, the cap and the flange at its lower edge appears as a hat on the head of the animal, in which form the container is shaped.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, and in which:

3,176,740 Fatented Apr. 5, 1965 FIGURE 1 is a side view of a paste jar in accordance with the invention showing the cap for the jar in place;

FlG. 2 is a front view of the paste jar of the invention showing the cap removed from the jar;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the cap construction of the invention; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view, similar to that of FIG. 3, but illustrating the manner in which the cap may be removed from the jar.

As was mentioned above, the invention is particularly adapted for use with paste jars formed from semiresilient plastic material and shaped to resemble the head of an animal. In this respect, it will be appreciated that the jar serves not only a utilitary function as a receptacle for paste material but also acts as a toy.

In the particular illustration given herein, and a shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the jar It is formed in the shape of the head of a dog and has a hollow main body portion 12 provided with an upstanding cylindrical neck portion 14. Fitted over the neck portion 14, as shown in FIG. 1, is a cap 16 which resembles a hat for the form representing a dogs head. With reference to FIG. 2, it will be noted that depending downwardly from the cap 16 is a paste spreader 18. As will hereinafter be seen, the paste spreader 18 is integrally formed with the cap 16 and, consequently, the cap also serves as a handle for the spreader 18. The cap and spreader are also formed from semi-resilient plastic material.

With specific reference now to FIGS. 2 and 3, it can be seen that formed at the upper edge of the neck portion 14 is a radially-outwardly extending annular flange 20;

The flange 20 is of gradually increasing width, the narrowest portion being at the top of the neck portion 14 and gradually increasing in width in a downward direction. This provides a slanted cam surface 22 which assists in positioning the cap 16 in its seated or locked position, as will hereinafter be more fully explained. The cap 16 has a generally flat top portion 24 which is circular in configuration. Integrally formed with the top 24, and depending downwardly therefrom, is the paste spreader 18 which, when the cap is in place, extends downwardly into the paste within the jar 10. Depending downwardly from the edge of the circular top 24, and formed integrally therewith, is an annular skirt portion 26 having a radially-inwardly extending flange 28 formed therein. The flange 28 is spaced from the underside of the top 24 by an amount such that with the cap in place as shown in FIG. 3, the flange 29' will be positioned between the upper edge of the flange 28 and the underside of top 24, the top being securely seated on the upper edge 30 of the neck portion 14. In this manner, it will be appreciated that a good seal is provided which prevents drying of the paste when not in use.

At the lower edge of the skirt portion 26 is an annular flange 32 which, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, forms a brim for the hat on the animal head configuration. At the same time, the flange 32 performs an important function in removing the cap from the jar 10. This is perhaps best shown in FIG. 4. Thus, the thumb 34 of the user is placed under the flange 32 at one point around its periphery and an upward force applied to pry the cap from the neck portion 14. If an attempt were made to pull the cap upwardly ed the neck portion 14 along the axis of the spreader 18, considerable difliculty would be experienced due to the fact that a very good clamping action is effected between the flanges 20 and 28. On the other hand, due to the semi-resilient characteristics of the plastic material, a slight upward force at one point'under the peripheral surface of the flange 32 will easily pry the cap off the jar.

When the cap is placed on the jar, the lower surface of the flange 28 engages the surface 22 on flange '7! al 20 In this respect, the surface 22 acts as a cam and, more or less, forces the flange 28 outwardly over the flange 20 until it has cleared the flange 2t), whereupon the flange 28 and skirt portion 26 will snap radially inwardly to hold the two parts securely in position.

Although the invention has been shown in connec tion with a certain specific embodiment, it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes inform and arrangement of parts may be made to suit requirements without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a jar construction forpaste materials and the like, the combination of a container formed from semiresilient plastic material or the like and having an upstanding open-ended neck portion of generally annular configuration, an inverted cup-shaped cap also formed from semi-resilient plastic material and adapted to snugly fit over said neck portion, said cap having a top and a downwardly-depending generally annular skirt portion, an annular flange formed on one of said portions, an annular flange formed on the other of said portions, the arrangement being such that the cap may be fitted over the neck portion and pressed downwardly until the flange on, one of said portions snaps over the flange on the other portion to hold the cap in place, and a paste spreader depending downwardly from said top and into paste within the container.

2. In a jar construction for paste materials and the like, the combination of a container formed from semir'esilient plastic material or the like and having an upstanding open-ended neck portion of generally annular configuration, an annular flange on the outer periphery of said neck portion, an inverted cup-shaped cap adapted to snugly fit over said' neck portion, said cap having a top portion and a downwardly-depending generally annular skirt portion, the cap also being formed from semiresilient plastic or the like and having an annular flange formed on the inner peripheral wall of its skirt portion whereby the cap may be fitted over the neck portion and pressed downwardly until the flange on the cap snaps over the flange on the neck portion to hold the cap securely in place, a radially-outwardly extending flange on the bottom of said skirt portion of the cap which may be pried upwardlly to force the flange on the cap over the flange on the neck portion to remove the cap from the jar, and a paste spreader integrally formed with said top portion of the cap and depending downwardly into paste in the container with the cap fitted onto said neck portion.

3. In a jar construction for paste materials and the like, the combination of a container formed from semiresilient plastic material or the like and having an upstanding open-ended neck portion of generally annular configuration, an annular flange on the outer periphery of said neck portion, an inverted cup-shaped cap adapted to snugly fit over said neck portion, said cap having a top portion and a downwardly-depending generally annular skirt portion, the cap also being formed from semiresilient plastic or the like and having an annular flange formed on the inner peripheral wall of its skirt portion whereby the cap may be fitted over the neck portion and pressed downwardly until the flange on the cap snaps over the flange on the neck portion to hold the cap.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/57 Tupper ISO-0.5 3/63 Robinson et al. 0.5

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

2. IN A JAR CONSTRUCTION FOR PASTE MATERIALS AND THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF A CONTAINER FORMED FROM SEMIRESILIENT PLASTIC MATERIAL OR THE LIKE AND HAVING AN UPSTANDING OPEN-ENDED NECK PORTION OF GENERALLY ANNULAR CONFIGURATION, AN ANNULAR FLANGE ON THE OUTER PERIPHERY OF SAID NECK PORTION, AN INVERTED CUP-SHAPED CAP ADAPTED TO SNUGLY FIT OVER SAID NECK PORTION, SAID CAP HAVING A TOP PORTION AND A DOWNWARDLY-DEPENDING GENERALLY ANNULAR SKIRT PORTION, THE CAP ALSO BEING FORMED FROM SEMIRESILIENT PLASTIC OR THE LIKE AND HAVING AN ANNULAR FLANGE FORMED ON THE INNER PERIPHERAL WALL OF ITS SKIRT PORTION WHEREBY THE CAP MAY BE FITTED OVER THE NECK PORTION AND PRESSED DOWNWARDLY UNTIL THE FLANGE ON THE CAP SNAPS OVER THE FLANGE ON THE NECK PORTION TO HOLD THE CAP SECURELY IN PLACE, A RADIALLY-OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE ON THE BOTTOM OF SAID SKIRT PORTION OF THE CAP WHICH MAY BE PRIED UPWARDLLY TO FORCE THE FLANGE ON THE CAP OVER THE FLANGE ON THE NECK PORTION TO REMOVE THE CAP FROM THE JAR, AND A PASTE SPREADER INTEGRALLY FORMED WITH SAID TOP PORTION OF THE CAP AND DEPENDING DOWNWARDLY INTO PASTE IN THE CONTAINER WITH THE CAP FITTED ONTO SAID NECK PORTION. 